(Updated: )Victory Day
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Friday, May 9
George Simion, leader of Romania's far-right AUR party, who won the first round of the presidential election with nearly 40% of the vote, reiterated that if elected, he would oppose any further assistance to Ukraine and shift Romania’s focus inward.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping hailed their countries' relationship on May 8, vowing to increase cooperation in all areas, including military ties.
"There is Turkey, which maintains channels of communication. And then, above all, there is the People's Republic of China, which, more than anyone else, has the means to make (Russian President Vladimir) Putin come to the negotiating table and soften his demands," Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said on May 8.
The United States will be ready to "walk away" from the negotiating table if it does not see Russia making progress in negotiation to end the war, U.S. Vice President JD Vance told Fox News on May 8.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico arrived in Moscow on May 9 to celebrate Victory Day, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II.
Friday, May 9
US President Donald Trump on May 8 called for a "30-day unconditional ceasefire" between Ukraine and Russia. Writing on Truth Social, Trump expressed his hope for "an acceptable ceasefire," with both countries "held accountable for respecting the sanctity of... direct negotiations."
President Volodymyr Zelensky had a "constructive" phone call with United States President Donald Trump on May 8, discussing the war, continued pressure on Russia, and a potential ceasefire.
The survey, conducted between April 24 and May 4, shows that 56.9% of respondents would not be willing to compromise on either territorial integrity or Ukraine’s pro-Western direction in any potential talks with Moscow.
(Updated: )
U.S. Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected the new pope and leader of the Roman Catholic Church on Thursday, taking the name Pope Leo XIV, a senior cardinal announced on May 8 to crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square, according to Vatican News.
Despite the Kremlin’s announcement of a May 8–11 truce, heavy fighting continued in multiple regions throughout the day.
USAID has established three new partnerships to invest $44 million for storage and infrastructure expansion in Ukraine's agricultural system, CNN reported.
Given that Ukraine is one of the world's largest grain exporters, the Russian invasion poses a significant threat to global food security.
Agriculture Minister Mykola Solskyi said the direct damage caused to Ukraine's agriculture industry was valued at $6.6 billion, according to a Kyiv School of Economics report. Meanwhile, the same report values indirect damage — losses sustained by farmers and businesses due to supply chain interruptions — at $34.25 billion.
Twenty percent of farmable land has also been lost due to the war.
According to CNN, USAID's partnerships with Ukraine's Grain Alliance, Kernel, and Nibulon seek to boost the country's grain shipping capacity by over 3 million tons annually.
Funds will go partly to the renovation of loading areas at the Izmail and Reni terminals in Odesa Oblast and in Slovakia. The funding will also go to grain loading equipment, temporary storage structures, and remanufactured locomotives in Ukraine.
The announcement of USAID's joint initiative comes after Russia's renewed threats to back out of the Black Sea Grain Initiative, which is set to expire on March 18. The deal, which the U.N. and Turkey facilitated, was first signed in July 2022, and all parties involved must reagree to sign it in order for it to continue.
Ukraine has repeatedly accused Russia of attempting to sabotage the grain corridor since the deal was first signed.
The deal mandates that vessels departing from or arriving at Ukrainian ports must undergo inspection by observers from Ukraine, Russia, Turkey, and the United Nations while passing through the Bosphorus Strait.
However, Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba and Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov said on Feb. 15 that more than 140 vessels were waiting at that time for inspections, with some waiting for over a month.
Agriculture Minister: Russia's grain corridor sabotage could lead to higher food prices
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